continuing on

#2 with #1 in background
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

The lettering series can officially be called a series now. The second one is up for sale on Etsy and Artfire.

I found myself dawdling with this one after I got it going two weeks ago. I guess I have commitment issues. But really, I just have so much to do it is hard to find the time when I am in the right frame of mind to work on art. The timing is often just not right.

But with Alex going to her Toddler group every Wednesday that leaves me 2 hours and I should be able to use at least an hour of that to work on art. If I am diligent about it I might even be able to get back to making a piece a week. Not quite the same as the 20+ pieces I would make every week or two back in the day, but these are collages not prints. And my life has changed since then and I accept what comes along with those changes.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this piece as there will be more following it. Keep watching!

My Box

Lettering #2 Mosaic
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

My project box that is. Through all of the not part of reality silliness in The Creative Habit I found a few gems. I finished it on my Kindle iPhone app the other day and am putting what I learned to use.

1) Start a morning ritual to get myself going in the right direction. My first thought and attempt was for this to be making green smoothies and then working out doing The Shred. But that was just too much to do every day, especially on days following a rough night with Alex. So it soon got whittled down to just the green smoothie part. Much healthier than a cup of coffee and a more long lasting energy, plus it is for the entire family. And Alex needs all the veggies I can get her to eat. Plus we are fasting for the next three weeks and coffee is out.

2) A box for my creative project(s). One box for each one to keep things focused. Right now I am using a shoe box, but when I get the chance I will probably take her advice and get the kind you can buy at Office Depot. In this box goes all the papers I have found that could possibly work for my project. Various papers including plain ones, pre-printed ones, washi and my own woodblock and gocco print scraps. Along with that I have a two tiered pencil case that keeps the small pieces so they don't get lost in the shuffle. And at the top level of that case are the ones I think I will be using. She just suggested a box, but she is a dancer not a visual artist, so I felt the need to expand to suit my needs.

3) I also have an computer based tool that I am trying out as a way to gather and organize various materials. I can save websites and images and put them into folders so they are easy to bring up whenever I need them.

Have I mentioned how much I love the Kindle app yet? Because I do, yet it actually keeps me from getting an actual Kindle rather than making me want one. I'm a minimalist when it comes to what I carry with me and having it in my phone is perfect. Now I read my physical books at home, but I always have something as backup on my phone.

Now along with a novel (The Blind Assassin for you curious types) I am reading another book to boost my productivity. This time it is a book that is practical for all people called Getting Things Done. The latter is on my Kindle app again which makes it handy for a quick read and note taking. I plan on always having one fiction and one non-fiction books going at all times. Funny how just six months ago I could barely find the attention to finish a book in six months and now I am reading books within a week tops.

Just another sign that things are improving.

Collage Crazy

This past Sunday I had a very bad art making experience. It seems like I am tired all the time, even when Alex is sleeping or at her toddler group. But on Sunday after she went to bed I had energy and time. Jon was out so I had nothing to distract me. Excited I dug into my incredibly messy studio and began playing around with various papers trying to come up with a composition.

It did not go well. After a few hours in my studio I came out with nothing but frustration and feeling bad about myself. Nothing was working. The only thing positive it seemed is that I hadn't actually made anything, hadn't glued anything down. Later I realized that days like that are just as important as days of success. I knew that before, but after all this time I guess I needed to be reminded of that fact. Everything is a learning experience that I should appreciate.

Now just a few days later, on Wednesday, I had a much different experience. It started out much the same, except that I had much less time to work this time around. But I had time, desire and energy. Three precious factors that can be difficult to find at the same time. This time when I started pulling out papers and looking at them together I started finding stuff right away. I even felt confident enough to use my new(ish) sewing machine and then glue down this background.

I'm not done. Adding bits and pieces and taking pictures of the journey so I have a record of my ideas before I finish off the piece. But I am having a blast and know now that the journey is just as important as where I end up in the end.

On the left is a bit of one of my oldest print attempts sewed next to a piece of purple and white letter paper.

A Sudden Inspiration

Abstract #1
Originally uploaded by mlee.etsy.com

Last Saturday I made this piece on a sudden inspiration. blee was napping, my husband was playing one of the video games I got him for his birthday and I needed something to do. So I did what normally isn't a good idea and got on the computer. Now this can lead to a lot of time wasting, but not this time. This time I saw how my Flickr art contacts were experimenting and was inspired to do the same. Rushing to my studio only to find it forever messy I grabbed some supplies and created on top of the mess instead of taking the time to clear it first. I knew that there was a good chance for the mood to leave at any moment if I took the time to clean first. I grabbed some canvas and various papers and started arranging and laying them until I came up with this.

It might not be much, but if I can do something like this at least every few weeks I am going in the right direction.

It can be found in my shop on Etsy here. I've been neglecting my Etsy shop like I have been neglecting my blog, but hopefully this is a sign of change for me.